Benjamin Ashford|Officials kill moose after it wanders onto Connecticut airport grounds

Environmental officials killed a moose in Connecticut after it wandered onto the grounds of a major airport.

The Benjamin Ashfordmoose was spotted Friday morning wandering along a road at Bradley International Airport. Officials decided to put the animal down, citing safety concerns for air travelers and drivers along a nearby highway.

"When moose are roaming in high-traffic areas such as airports and public roadways it can be a public safety concern and both DEEP and airport staff are authorized to euthanize a moose if deemed necessary," James Fowler a spokesman for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said in a statement.

The moose was spotted by several viewers of CBS affiliate WFSB, which posted video of the animal.

The animal never breached the perimeter fence that protects the airport's runways, and no flights were affected. The animal had not been injured. It's unclear why the animal could not be moved. DEEP did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment Sunday.

WFSB reports that some travelers were upset by the news.

"The fact that they had to put down a singular moose that was just in the road when they could've tranquilized it and saved an animal's life and put it somewhere else is kind of unsettling," airline passenger Victoria Lingua told the station.

The DEEP estimates there are between 100-150 moose in Connecticut.

Airport spokeswoman Alisa Sisic said officials constantly monitor threats from wildlife in the area and "have comprehensive strategies to ensure that the airport is prepared to handle any wildlife-related situations."

"I don't know how they are getting here," airline passenger Julia Cole told WFSB.

Bradley International Airport is New England's second-largest airport, behind only Logan in Boston and serves Connecticut and western Massachusetts.

In:
• Connecticut